Frequently Asked Questions for Wikimania 2010 Scholarship Applicants

Q: What is a Wikimania 2010 Scholarship ("scholarship")? A: A scholarship is an award given to an individual to enable them to attend Wikimania 2010 in Gdansk, Poland, from July 9-11, 2010.

Q: How do I apply for a scholarship to attend Wikimania 2010? A: Please use the application form.

Q: What does a scholarship pay for? A: A scholarship covers the cost of an individual's round trip travel (by air, train, or bus), accommodations, and registration for Wikimania.

Q: What expenses are not covered by a scholarship? A: Local transportation, meals, and other incidental expenses are not covered, and are the responsibility of the scholarship recipient.

Q: Am I eligible for a scholarship to attend Wikimania 2010? A: While anyone can apply for a scholarship to attend Wikimania, the most eligible candidates are active contributors to a Wikimedia project and/or Wikimedia volunteer in any other capacity, from anywhere in the world. Participants in other free knowledge, free software, collaborative and/or educational initiatives are also encouraged to apply.

Q: If I can afford to travel to and attend Wikimania, should I apply? A: Scholarship recipients are not selected based on financial need. However, we ask that applicants carefully consider their financial need against the needs of other applicants from all over the world. Many applicants do not have the financial means to attend Wikimania without this opportunity.

Q: If I received a travel grant or scholarship to a previous Wikimania, am I eligible to receive one for Wikimania 2010 as well? A: Yes.

Q: When is the deadline for applications? A: April 11, 2010 at 23:59:59 UTC.

Q: Is there a limit to how much of my travel the scholarship will cover? A: The scholarship may cover up to 100% of your travel, but the amount must be reasonable, as determined by the Wikimedia Foundation travel coordinator.

Q: Who pays for scholarships? A: In 2010, the Wikimedia Foundation will fund a limited number of scholarship awards.

Q: When do I find out if I will receive a scholarship to Wikimania? A: Applicants will be notified of acceptance, decline, or wait list status from May 3-5.
Notifications will occur later than originally planned because of the high volume of applications (over 2500) to this year's scholarships program, and the time required to accurately and fairly review and allocate scholarship awards. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Q: If I am awarded a scholarship, how will the funds be disbursed? Will you send me the money? Reimburse me? A: Scholarship recipients may use the travel booking service recommended by the Wikimedia Foundation, and paid for directly by the Wikimedia Foundation. Alternatively, scholarship recipients may book their own travel at or below a cost estimate provided by the Wikimedia Foundation. Reimbursements will be processed prior to Wikimania.

Those who wish to be reimbursed for cost of travel must provide a receipt for exact cost to the Wikimedia Foundation in order to be reimbursed. Reimbursements are most easily processed by PayPal.

The Wikimedia Foundation will pay directly for standard accommodations during the length of the conference, and conference registration fees.

If your question is not answered here, please contact wikimania-scholarships@wikimedia.org